Melatonin gummies as sleep aids for children: What are the risks?

When I arrived at a friend’s party recently, I was impressed to find that her three children were already fast asleep. It was only 7pm. The music was blaring and the chatter of the guests was getting more lively, but they were still dozing. “They are great sleepers,” I remarked to my friend as I left. She smiled at me conspiratorially. “Melatonin gummies. You have to get some.”

A friend of mine is one of a growing number of parents who give their children melatonin gummies as sleep aids. Other related friends have told me magical stories of what were once full sleepovers transformed into a quick kiss and lights out and a clean, undisturbed night of sleep. As someone who spends at least an hour a night begging three noisy kids to go to bed, I can see the appeal. But is there a catch?

In Australia, where I live, melatonin is prescribed as a prescription drug reserved for children with major sleep disturbances caused by conditions such as autism. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain at night and helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Some children with autism have reduced levels of this hormone and must take melatonin tablets to help them sleep.

The UK has similar restrictions on prescribing melatonin to children. However, parents of ineligible children in both countries can purchase unregulated melatonin products online. Some were inspired to try melatonin gummies after hearing stories of how they radically improved the sleep of children in the US, where they can be bought in supermarkets and pharmacies without a prescription.

Recent overview The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 45 percent of US parents have given their children melatonin at some point to help them sleep. Many American children are now using melatonin gummies every day, especially those under 5, and have been using them for at least a year. Some teenagers, whose body clocks naturally shift later, also take melatonin to help them go to bed earlier and wake up in time for school.

One of the factors that has increased the popularity of melatonin is its repackaging in the form of sweet-tasting, brightly colored gummies. The accompanying labels, which often include pictures of fruit and claims that they are “natural” or “drug-free,” have confused many people into thinking that melatonin is a vitamin or dietary supplement rather than a hormone. Few parents would feel comfortable giving their children sleeping pills on a regular basis, but gummies seem more benign.

The main problem with these gummies is that their contents often do not match their labels because they are not regulated like prescription melatonin tablets. Researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently tested 110 over-the-counter melatonin products sold to children in the U.S., including gummies, jellies, chewable tablets, and drink mixes, and found that many contained very high doses of melatonin, up to 667 percent of the stated benefit.

Studies have found that high doses of melatonin make people fall asleep faster and sleep longer than standard prescription doses, which may explain why some manufacturers sneak in larger amounts. A melatonin gum that puts children to sleep in minutes is likely to be perceived as more effective than others with less dramatic effects, encouraging continued use.

The problem is that no one knows what the risks are, if any, to children taking large doses of melatonin regularly. One small one studies found that long-term melatonin use in children was associated with delayed puberty, but others did not find this association. Other potential health effects are unclear due to a lack of rigorous studies. ON review published in The Lancet concluded that “this large gap in safety knowledge warrants caution against the prescribed use of melatonin in children and adolescents”.

Some friends have told me that they had planned to give their kids melatonin gummies for just a short time as a reset, but then their kids started having trouble falling asleep without them. Now they feel stuck because they don’t want to go back to their old bedtime arguments. Several pediatricians have caused concern about this type of addiction, noting that children who don’t learn to sleep on their own or forget the skill can get used to the idea that falling asleep requires medication.

Another problem with melatonin gums is that their sweet taste has sometimes led to children eating them by the handful. until 2020 more calls more have been reported to US poison control centers about children overdosing on melatonin than any other substance. In 2024, poison hotlines in Australia received a record number of calls – nearly 1,500 – related to melatonin ingestion in children. Common symptoms of melatonin overdose include excessive sleepiness, dizziness, headaches, and confusion. A small number of children in the US have he died after melatonin overdose, although its role in their deaths was not clear.

At the same time, there have been occasional reports of daycare workers inserting melatonin gummies into children’s mouths or sprinkling melatonin on their lunches without parental consent to encourage them to sleep. In the latest alleged incident at a Wisconsin daycare, parents told the media they discovered their children were unusually lethargic.

Australia’s national drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, recently attempted to crack down on the unregulated use of melatonin gummies in children by asking Border Police officials to seize and destroy the products. However, parents are now sharing tips on internet forums to bypass border controls and smuggle them in.

This desperation shows how tired and frustrated many parents are. The lure of a quick fix to get kids to fall asleep and stay asleep is extremely powerful. However, until more is known about the long-term health effects of giving melatonin gummies to children, I’ve decided to put this temptation to bed.

topics: